Mountain snowpack still above average

Mountain snowpack in Northwest Montana remains well above average for mid-June, meaning there is still a lot of water waiting to melt into area rivers and streams.

The snowpack in the Flathead Basin was at 146 percent of average as of June 1, and 180 percent compared to last year. Mountains west of the Continental Divide are at 135 percent of normal snowpack.

A weather station on Flattop Mountain at 6,300 feet in Glacier National Park showed 66 inches of snow on June 8 holding about 35 inches of water. The weather station at Noisy Basin in the Swan Mountains showed the same results.

Data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) showed that snowpack peaked during the first week of May — about two to three weeks later than normal — but transitioned to rapid melt shortly afterward.

“To some extent, the above normal snowpack totals this year have been able to offset the rapid melt rates experienced during the month of May, leaving us near to above normal for today,” said Lucas Zukiewicz, NRCS water supply specialist, in a press release.

Zukiewicz explained prolonged snowmelt helps to keep water in the rivers later into the summer, keeps river temperatures down and keeps water available to the irrigators in the state when demand is high.

“So far what has happened has been ideal,” Zukiewicz said. “The snowmelt spigot has been turned on and off a few times this month due to the periods of cooler weather, releasing the water in phases instead of one big push.”

The Flathead River at Columbia Falls was flowing at 35,900 cubic feet per second on Thursday morning. Normal for this time of year is 28,399 cubic feet per second. The river height was 11.72 feet — flood stage is at 13 feet. The river briefly crested the 13-foot mark on June 1 at about 13.5 feet.

Flathead Lake is at 2,891 feet — a couple of feet below full pool.

Zukiewicz noted that weather over the next few weeks will play a critical role in the timing and magnitudes of flows in the rivers.

“Everyone is ready to get out and enjoy the mountains of the state, but cool and wet weather, and keeping the snow up in the hills as long as we can, will be better in the long run,” Zukiewicz said.

Long-duration forecasts show near- to above-average river flows through September. This assumes normal precipitation and temperatures occur in the coming months.